If Las Vegas were an amusement park (and some would argue that it is), Sin City’s nightlife industry would be the roller coasters. There are ups and downs, each new coaster trying to outdo the last. Bigger hills, faster turns, you get it.

And unlike any park we’ve ever heard of, Vegas opens a new “coaster” at least once every few months, so it’s with nervous trepidation that the city awaits each new venue. Busting onto the scene with three other clubs on New Year’s Eve, Privé Nightclub was in for a lot of competition. The seasoned partiers of our fair town weren’t looking for any rickety, old, wooden ride. They wanted something new, with double loops and corkscrews. Lucky for Vegas’ thrill-seekers (or night-clubbers, in this case), Privé delivers.

The club, located inside Planet Hollywood, is actually an offering from the folks in South Beach Florida. The Opium Group – which operates four hopping nightclubs in Miami – chose Sin City for the first venture outside of Florida, and why wouldn’t they?

“After a lot of research, we decided that the synergy between Miami and Vegas was natural and that Sin City was the perfect town for Privé Las Vegas,” said Vanessa Menkes, vice president of communications The Opium Group.

But Vegas is a big town, with a lot of space for clubs, so the next step was to choose a resort to open in.

“We thought Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino would make a great home to Privé and that our signature brand of joie de vivre, glamour and decadence would be a great addition to the Vegas Strip,” Menkes said. She added, “I’m happy to say it’s worked!”

And just why it works is evident from the minute you set out for the club. Located above the casino floor, Privé’s entrance (and line – hey, it is popular after all) is actually right on the floor, with an escalator leading up into the club.

There’s a kind of buzz in the throng of people clustered around the escalator and the feeling you get once you get through the ropes and onto the steps is one of triumph. You’ve made it and you’re going some place worth going, at least judging by all the other people trying to get to the same place.

Be advised, the requisite club attire doesn’t necessarily apply at Privé. Judy Stone, director of public relations at the club, said, “We’re not into the typical Las Vegas nightlife uniform that most guys tend to wear, black shoes, trousers and button down shirt. If someone comes up to the door with a mohawk and some really expensive Nike sneakers, they will get into Privé a lot quicker than the other guy.”

If that isn’t enough to make it evident that Privé isn’t Vegas-grown (and we don’t mean that in a bad way), consider this – just steps away from where clubbers get their ubiquitous hand stamp, there it is, the holy grail of nightclub amenities – open seating. A round couch, a comfortable, leather couch, sits at the entrance surrounded by televisions playing clips from old Godzilla movies spliced together with a few more, um, more risqué films (not too risqué though, don’t worry).

Once over the shock of seating that doesn’t require bottle service, your feet will undoubtedly want to move in celebration (since they know that later they can rest), so let them go a few more yards to the first bar. Attractive bartenders (female ones, at that, another not-quite-so-common Vegas club feature) bustle behind the high bar as the glint of chandeliers catch your eye from most directions. Off to the side of the bar is one of many bottle service booths, but other than those, there isn’t much off limits in the club.

“Privé encourages patrons to get up on the furniture, the speakers, the tables, whatever you can find, and just dance,” Stone said. “There are no ropes or VIP area. For us, anyone who makes it inside is a VIP. You can go anywhere, dance anywhere and have a really uninhibited time.”

If your uninhibited time involves alcohol, there a few ways to go. Fully stocked bars are placed around the club in the most convenient of places – near the bathroom, near the entrance, off to the side, places you would find yourself just as you’re nearing the bottom of your glass anyway. For a little more coin than the average clubber might spend, you can also get some spectacle to go along with your drink. Bottles of champagne (think Dom) come complete with sparklers, held up proudly and delivered right to you as they throw off dancing gold sparks.

Privé brings along with it The Living Room, another Miami-transplanted concept. With 16 seating areas, complete with bottle service, The Living Room is easily the most intimate space in the venue. Stone said the idea is a modern twist on the cozy cigar lounges of the 1940s, complete with cushy leather sofas, Persian rugs, opulent drapery and an amazing granite bar. Add to all that, glass-enclosed fireplaces, leopard accents and massive Victorian mirrors and it’s not hard to imagine that The Living Room fills up often.

The good news is Privé hasn’t changed the things that made its Miami clubs so successful, the bad news is, just like your favorite coaster, you’re going to want to check it out again and again and again. Or maybe that’s good news, too?

-- Review by Jamie Helmick